Sometimes It Takes A Little Push
by dixiekittyva
Summary: Sometimes events seem random, completely unconnected. But sometimes they're not. And sometimes it takes a little push to end up where you were meant to be all along.
1. Chapter 1

Six months after they became Mr. and Mrs. Jamison Reagan, Jamie and Eddie moved into their own home. It wasn't exactly a smooth transition, but they were finally doing it.

It took some convincing on Jamie's part to talk Eddie into it. While, naturally, the thought of a home of their own, not some apartment, appealed to her, but she was reluctant, to say the least, to move further from the city. She liked access to whatever craving she was having whenever she was having it. She liked the ease of the corner store to grab a few things during the week between their weekly trips to the larger big box store on the weekends. It would definitely be a big adjustment.

But Jamie wanted the big house with the big yard… Not necessarily as big as what he grew up with, but he wanted space. He wanted any future kids he and Eddie would have to grow up with their own piece of the outdoors to play in. They wouldn't have to stay cooped up inside until they made a trip to the park where Eddie and Jamie would have to be on the lookout for anyone looking at their kids the wrong way. No, he wanted the safety of his own backyard. Unfortunately, you couldn't get that in Brooklyn Heights on their budget.

As a compromise, Jamie promised Eddie that any house they agreed on would have a huge kitchen that he would always keep fully stocked as if his life depended on it. He got a laugh out of her with that one. She'd agreed, but only after he also promised to get (and cook for her, of course) many of his grandfather's recipes. Naturally, after enjoying family dinner with the Reagans this past year, she'd become a little spoiled.

Once they'd gotten engaged she'd moved into Jamie's apartment. It'd made sense, he was in the nicer neighborhood, his apartment was bigger and her lease was up first. She'd talked to her landlord and he'd let her out of her lease early because she had already lined up another tenant, another officer from their precinct. To be honest, he had a soft spot for her, but even better, he liked the idea of having police officers in the building.

Even with the larger size of Jamie's apartment, they'd both had to put things in storage to make room for her. So now they were unpacking boxes and trying to find a place for all of their things. They had been in sort of a stand off on some of their larger furniture, but otherwise everything was going fairly smooth.

The mantle of the fireplace and shelves of their built-in bookcases on either side of it were slowly filling with books, knick-knacks, mementos and photos. Even after Jamie had packed up things from his apartment to make room for Eddie, trying his best to make her feel at home, it still felt like his place to her. This was definitely starting to look and feel like their own.

Eddie walked back into the living room from the kitchen carrying two beers, placing one on the coffee table next to the box her husband was currently unpacking. She sat on the sofa just to the right of it and picked up the thick photo album he just put down.

She flipped through a page or two before looking back up to Jamie, smiling. "Oh, look! Little Jamie Reagan!" When he looked to her, she pointed to a picture of him; he must have been about seven years old. He was grinning, holding a fishing pole in one hand and in the other he was wearing a glove holding onto the line from which a fish half as tall as he hung below. "You were so cute." she exclaimed. He raised his eyebrows at that. "Were?" She rolled her eyes as she continued. "You know what I mean… Its not that often I see a smile that big out of you. You're always so serious." He leaned back over, getting a better look at the photo. "That was the first one I caught 100% on my own. I fought him for the better part of an hour, Pops and Dad kept trying to help but I wouldn't let them." Eddie grinned up at Jamie as he turned back to his box before she returned her focus back to the album, flipping through more pages.

She flipped one page and burst into laughter. "Okay, spill, what happened here? I gotta know, who started it?" Jamie leaned back over the photos and starting laughing as well. The photo in question was one of all four Reagan kids covered in cake and frosting almost from head to toe in the family backyard. They were in an odd group hug in the picture, but it obviously hadn't started out as cordial.

Jamie sat down next to Eddie and told the story. "It was Erin's… I believe 14th birthday, maybe? She was taking forever pulling out the candles after she blew them out and Danny was getting impatient. After she got out the last one he and Joe each took a side and pushed her face into the cake. Most girls would've cried, but not Erin. After the initial shock wore off she grabbed two handfuls of cake and they each got one in the face. Next thing I know, she's throwing some across the picnic table at me just because I laughed. After that, it was on. Full out cake fight, all of us grabbing handfuls and chasing each other around. Since I was the youngest, Joe made sure they didn't gang up on me and then it turned into two-on-two, me and Joe versus Erin and Danny. This was after the smoke cleared. I don't know who or even if anyone actually won, I just remember that we ran out of ammo pretty quick."

Eddie was laughing so hard she was nearly in tears by the time he was finished. "Oh my god, what did your Dad say?" She couldn't imagine the gruff Frank Reagan being too amused by that. "Dad? You gotta remember that he was never the tough PC at home, he was just Dad. Back then Connors was still in charge, but you know what I mean. He and Pops just sat back and laughed at our antics. Mom, though? Now that was another story. She didn't appreciate that the cake that she baked and decorated herself got demolished that way. That didn't stop her from still giving us ice cream later that night though… Just in separate rooms, of course. But…" He'd kept it together so far, but now he was starting to lose it. "She wouldn't let us back into the house until after Dad hosed us all off first. He had a lot of fun with that." Now they were both doubled over with laughter.

Once they settled down they returned to flipping through the album, Jamie now being generous with the stories behind many of the photos. Eddie was mesmerized; she loved learning more about him and his childhood. Since they officially got together she had slowly learned more about him and his past. He had always been more of a private person, but he had slowly been opening up to her. Usually talking about his past brought up sad memories, so she tried not to push. But seeing him like this, so animated as he relived those moments in his mind, she couldn't help but fall more in love with him.

It also reminded her of what she missed out on being an only child. Granted, her parents did what they could to ensure she wanted for nothing and let her have friends over whenever possible, but it just wasn't the same as having brothers and sisters. There was a closeness and comradery that the Reagan kids had that she would never fully understand.

As they continued flipping pages they came upon a few from Jamie's high school graduation. There was a posed shot of him with the whole family and then one with just him and his parents; she had seen that one framed at family dinner once. But then there was one that really made her smile. Erin was smiling on one side of Jamie, who was making a funny face at the camera, while Joe was on the other side caught laughing as he watched his younger brother. Something about it looked so familiar that it kept nagging at Eddie.

"Babe, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I swear I knew him." Jamie looked up at Eddie; he could tell she was thinking hard by the look on her face. "Who? Joe?" She nodded, but kept racking her brain trying to place him. "Well, you've seen his picture before." He reasoned, trying to put her at ease. She shook her head and leaned toward the picture for a closer look. "No, that's not it… I've seen his NYPD portrait. And there's a bunch of posed shots at your Dad's house. I always figured it was just the family resemblance... But… There's just something… so familiar… about these candid ones." She scrunched up her face, deep in thought as she studied the picture.

Almost ready to give up, she flipped through a couple more pages before leaning back and crossing her arms in front of her. It was so close, she could almost picture him. She growled and leaned her head back on the couch while Jamie just continued to chuckle at her. Just as Jamie reached for the long-forgotten box he had been emptying earlier, she jumped up. "I got it. He pulled me over."


	2. Chapter 2

Naturally, Jamie was more than surprised. "What? When?" Eddie stood up and started to pace the room, trying to recall the traffic stop from years before. "Wow, it must have been 10 years ago. It was the year before everything went down with my Dad." Jamie was stunned; all he could say in response was "Huh." Eddie was lost in her head, trying to remember it all, now knowing how significant that once seemingly unimportant stop was. "I tried to beat a yellow and lost. Next thing I know, I've got blue lights behind me. I'd been on my way home from class when he pulled me. I tried to sweet-talk him and gave him the Janko sparkle…" When she said the last part she folded her hands under her chin and batted her eyes at Jamie.

She figured this was a lot for him to take. Heck; this was a lot for her to take. She knew how much Joe had meant to Jamie and she'd always been a little sad that she never got to meet him. And now it appeared that she had after-all.

Jamie grinned at her, able to picture it all happening, knowing that Joe and Eddie would have gotten along great, but he didn't voice those thoughts. He just waited for her to continue.

She laughed as she picked up where she left off. "But of course it didn't work. You Reagans…" She joked. "So he asked me if I'd been drinking, looking back I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that." She mused to herself before shaking her head and continuing. "Anyways, so he asked that and I said 'Not yet.' Oh, yeah, it was St. Patrick's Day. So, I said not yet and winked at him. If I was him I would've made me get out and take a sobriety test, but he just laughed. Like whatever he expected me to say, that sure wasn't it. Well, he asked a few more questions and you know me, I sassed him." Jamie had leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees a few minutes ago, but at that he raised up.

Eddie saw the look on his face and quickly reassured him. "Oh, no, nothing insulting or anything like that. More like… playful bickering. Like us when we first met. Anywho, I was gonna meet up with friends later that night so I'd been heading home to change before he pulled me. I was afraid he was gonna jerk me around, I mean it's not like it would've been the first time some cop tried that. But he was really nice and had a great sense of humor. He joked that he had a brother who would've absolutely loved me. I guess he was right all along." She paused for a moment to wink at Jamie as she sat down beside him.

"Honestly, I thought he was just hitting on me, but, you know, too shy to admit that he was the one who liked me. He let me off with just a warning about the light and told me to be careful and take it easy that night. And that was it. But his laugh, that's what I remembered most."

When she finished she looked back to Jamie, he was quiet, deep in thought. When he finally looked up at her he looked like he'd seen a ghost. "When… When he pulled you over, what were you driving?" Eddie laughed, that was a silly question. "My baby, of course."

Jamie clasped his fingers together in front of his face and started nodding absentmindedly. "Porsche Girl." was all he said. Eddie was naturally confused. "What?" Jamie was silent for a few more moments before he stood up and started nervously pacing back and forth. "Jamie, what's going on?" She was getting worried; this wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She thought he'd be thrilled that she'd met Joe, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances.

When he finally came back to reality he leaned back against the fireplace and crossed his arms in front of him. "You… You're Porsche Girl." Eddie was still lost. "Who's Porsche Girl?" Jamie's mind was still reeling. "You are."

At Eddie's raised eyebrows he continued. "A couple of months before Joe died he called me up. I was cramming for mid-terms and he knew it, that's probably why he called when he did… To get me out of my head. I tried to get off the phone, but then he starts on about this hot blonde that would be perfect for me. Of course, I'm with Syd at the time, so I'm not interested. But he won't let up. He said he met her on a stop, that she was hot as hell and oh, the mouth on her." He stops for a moment and laughs, hearing his brother's voice as if it was just yesterday.

"Then he starts on her wheels, this cute little Porsche convertible. I started to tune him out, knowing I'm not getting off the phone until he's done. I know he said something about her having a guy's name, but I don't remember much else. I finally get him off the phone, but over the next few weeks he keeps bringing her up. I never knew her name; he just keeps calling her 'Porsche Girl'. Not long after that… He was gone. I never even thought about it again… until now."

Up to this point Jamie had been staring out into space, but now he looked to Eddie who looked as shocked as he must have just a few minutes ago. She looks up to him, not knowing what to say. He sat back down on the couch beside her, picking up his beer on the way and handing her the other half-empty bottle. They both take a deep swig. "So, Joe… He was really trying to fix us up...?" She didn't really expect an answer, so she just sighed and leaned back on the sofa again, staring off toward the ceiling.

Later that night while Eddie loaded the dishwasher with their dinner dishes, Jamie snuck back into the living room. He pulled out a framed picture of himself and Joe from a family trip to Florida a couple years before he… They were both wearing bright tacky Hawaiian shirts that Joe had surprised him with. He was determined to loosen up his oh-too-serious little brother. It was a vacation after-all.

Jamie placed the picture on the mantle and simply stared at it. Could it really be? Could his brother really have known all those years ago that Eddie was the one for him? After only meeting her for just a few minutes? It just wasn't possible.

In his mind he could hear that conversation from all those years ago.

" _Hey little bro. Not studying too hard, I hope."_

" _I'm busy, Joe. What'cha want?"_

" _Okay, okay… I met this chick this afternoon that you have GOT to meet."_

" _I've got Syd, remember? Not interested."_

" _No, this one is special. She was a real spitfire, I tell ya. Hot little blonde, and she knew how to work it."_

" _Joe, I'm serious… I've got mid-terms coming up, I've got to study."_

" _What are you talking about? You're a brainiac, you'll do fine. So anways, this girl… I pulled her over for blowing through a yellow."_

" _Wait… You're trying to fix me up with a criminal? I'm hanging up now."_

" _No, no, wait… She's not a criminal. Just some spoiled little rich girl. She was driving this little silver Porsche convertible. Oh, man, this girl was trouble. And with her mouth?… She'd put Resa to shame in a heartbeat."_

" _Joe, you're not listening… I… Am… With… Syd. I'm probably gonna marry her."_

" _Nah, come on. You two? You're too similar, it'll never work. I know you, you need a girl with some fire, and this girl definitely has it. Oh, and get this… Her name is Eddie. Eddie! Do you believe it? You know how it is with hot chicks with boys' names… Jamie… Jamie?"_

" _Yeah… Yeah, I'm here."_

" _I've lost you, haven't I?"_

" _Sorry, I told you I was busy."_

" _Fine, fine. But this isn't over. We WILL be talking about 'Porsche Girl' later. You better not be late for dinner on Sunday."_

" _If you say so… But yeah, I'll see you then."_

" _Night little bro."_

" _Night."_

"Hey, babe. I'm heading on up… You gonna be a while?" Eddie called from the stairs, stirring him from his memories. He turned toward her to answer. "No, I'll be right up. I'm just gonna check the locks and hit the lights." She blew him a kiss and went up stairs.

After doing as he said, he stopped back in the living room. He walked back over to that picture with his brother and smiled. He reached up and ran a finger over Joe's smiling face. He heaved a deep sigh and lowered his arm. "Thanks, Joe."

Jamie turned back towards the stairs and turned down the dimmer on the overhead light as he went. As he climbed the stairs to his wife, he couldn't help but think of what could have been… If he had listened to his brother all those years ago… Maybe he would've met Eddie sooner? Would he have been interested then? Would he have missed his chance with her?

If Joe hadn't been killed… Maybe he wouldn't have become a cop and he never would have met her at all. And if he hadn't, would Sorrento have gone for Joe instead? Or if he was still the target, who would've saved him if he didn't have Eddie watching his back? For the first time Jamie fully realized the impact his brother's death had on his life.


	3. Chapter 3

**I had originally planned to end it with this chapter, but I think there's a little more left. :-)**

* * *

Seven months later a visibly pregnant Eddie was escorted to the Reagan Family Sunday Dinner by her ecstatic husband. While they chatted with their other family members before they sat down to eat, they withheld any baby news until everyone was at the table.

"So Eddie, how are you feeling?" Frank asked as he put a couple of slices of the roast onto his plate. Eddie smiled as she handed the side dish she had to her husband. "Good. Just starting to feel big." Everyone laughed at that. She wasn't really that large, yet. At only 5 months along she had much more than just a baby bump, but she was nowhere near the "full-term waddle", as Danny had put it.

After swallowing a bite of her food she continued, poking fun at the man sitting beside her. "But, I've got to admit, it feels pretty good having this one wait on me all the time." Jamie rolled his eyes and finished chewing his food. "Sorry that I want to take care of the mother of my child." He shook his head with a smile and kept on eating.

Eddie raised her hands in defense before she spoke. "Hey, I'm not complaining. Anything that keeps me from bending over to vacuum and deal with the dishes and getting my own ice cream is fine with me." Everyone had been smiling at the pair, but at the ice cream remark they all lost it.

Once they settled down Danny chimed in. "Well, don't get too used to it. Every guy is like this with the first one. But after watching how tough you are giving birth, he'll expect you on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor or out in the yard chopping firewood when you're pregnant with the next one." Everyone stared at Danny in surprise, sometimes the dumbest things came out of his mouth.

"I didn't mean literally those things, but you get the point. We learn that you're not so fragile and that you don't need us hovering over you so much." At that everyone shrugged, realizing that there was some truth to what he was saying.

Except Eddie, who pouted. "But I like him hovering." Without skipping a beat or even looking up from his plate, Danny replied. "Give it another month."

Everyone went silent for a moment and then burst into laughter again.

Once the noise level died down again he continued. "It's funny, but it's true. With Jack I was the doting and overprotective father-to-be. By the end of the seventh month, I thought Linda was going to strangle me. She even called Dad to see if there was any available overtime I could snag. It's fun and cute, until it isn't. You'll say he's smothering you, he'll say he's just worried about you and the baby. You'll say you're a grown up and can do everything for yourself and he'll say he's just trying to help."

Danny took a sip of his wine and went on. "I'm not telling you this to scare you, but to prepare you. I found out the hard way. When Sean came along I knew well enough to make myself scarce until summoned."

Eddie looked skeptical while the others tried not to laugh. She turned to Erin, but before she could even ask, Erin spoke up. "Hey, I agree. In the beginning its fun because it's all new and you're scared. But toward the end I was sore and cranky and just tired of being pregnant. Jack found ways to work a couple of late nights a week; he knew I was tired of his hovering and sometimes of even just seeing his face."

Eddie chuckled as she turned to Jamie and held his chin. "Don't worry Reagan, I doubt I could ever get tired of this face." He felt silly and he could see the amused faces on the rest of his family, but he wasn't about to say anything. He just leaned forward and kissed her before turning back to his plate.

Everyone tried to hide their smiles and went back to their food. After a few more minutes of relative silence, Nicky spoke up. "Hey, didn't you have another ultrasound this week?"

Eddie smiled and cut her eyes to Jamie, they'd been waiting for someone to ask about it. "Yeup, sure did." Was all she said. She could see the anticipation on Nicky's face. "Well? Could they tell?" This time it was Jamie who smiled and kept his answer brief. "Yeup, sure could." Nicky was practically squealing by this point. "Well, what it is? A boy or a girl?"

Jamie twisted to the side to better see Eddie. "I dunno. Should we tell'em?" She knew he was teasing them by the sparkle in his eye, so she played along. "I don't know… Maybe we should wait. It would be a nice surprise…" She sing-songed as she finished.

They were immediately greeted by groans of frustration which turned into grumbles of "Oh, come on…", "Just tell us already", "You've got to be kidding me" and of course a "Just do it" from Danny that was promptly followed by his cloth napkin flying at them.

They laughed before eyeing each other. Eddie spoke first, "Okay, okay, quiet down." She looked back to Jamie before nodding, and then they both shouted "It's a girl!"

They got the reaction they were expecting. There were cheers of "A girl!", "Congratulations!", "YES!", "Oh, my goodness, another great-granddaughter", "Not another girl!" and "Way to go, kid!". They were instantly surrounded by hugs and pats on the shoulder and Eddie even felt a couple of belly rubs. Some women would be bothered by how forward everyone was, but not her. This was the big family she'd always wanted.

Everyone chatted about everyone else's week throughout the rest of dinner, but they all focused back on the baby once desert was served. Erin was the one to start it off again while sipping her coffee. "So, a little girl. Any thoughts on names yet?"

Eddie wiped frosting off of her lip before answering. "Actually, yeah. We were thinking Josefina, with an 'F'. It's the Serbian form of Josephine." There were surprised faces all around the table, which she and Jamie had been expecting.

"Yeah, not long after we found out we were expecting we decided that boy or girl, we would name it after Joe." Jamie started to get choked up, and looking around the table, he wasn't the only one.

Eddie took his hand in hers and continued. "Yeah, especially after…" She stopped and looked over to Jamie, double-checking that he was okay with her telling them. He nodded and she went on. "Especially after we found out how he tried to get us together to start with."

Obviously, everyone around them was confused. Joe died years before Eddie came into the picture. Eddie and Jamie had decided not to tell the family about their discovery last year, but now that they were naming their daughter after him, they thought it was fitting that they knew the part he played, or tried to play, in that.

Frank had his trademark unamused face. "Would either of you care to explain?"

Instead Jamie cleared his throat and addressed his brother. "Hey Danny, you remember 'Porsche Girl'?" Danny swallowed his bite of cake before answering. "Of course I remember 'Porsche Girl', Joe wouldn't shut up about her." Jamie tipped his head toward Eddie and raised his eyebrows, hoping his brother took the hint. "Well…"

Danny dropped his fork and pointed towards Eddie. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that Eddie is Porsche Girl?" Now he was really interested.

Eddie smiled nervously before answering him. "Apparently so." Danny had the biggest grin now. "Well, holy crap. What are the chances?!" "Our thoughts exactly…" Jamie answered, not yet filling in the rest of his family.

This time Henry was the one to break the silence. "Alright, now who or what is Porsche Girl?" He looked to the expectant couple to answer, but Danny answered instead.

"A little bit before Joe died he starts on Jamie, trying to fix him up with this hot blonde he pulled for blasting thru a yellow. This was when he'd been pulled off of Warrants to assist with the St. Paddy's Day craziness." "I didn't…" Eddie started, but Danny kept going. "You know Joe; he won't let up and keeps busting Jamie's balls trying to get him to meet her. Apparently he thought she was freakin' awesome. When he pulled her over she mouthed off a bit…"

At this Frank interrupted his son. "You mouthed off to a police officer?" He addressed Eddie. But before she could defend herself Danny continued.

"No Dad, not like that. Joe said it was actually pretty cute." Eddie blushed at that, not that anyone noticed. "He said she was cute and funny and full of spirit; right up Jamie's alley. He didn't see him and Sydney lasting, so he kept pushing. But of course, Jamie didn't listen. He never said her name, just called her Porsche Girl because of the Porsche convertible she was driving. Ya know, 'Jamie, seriously, you gotta meet Porsche Girl. She's perfect for you.' That kind of stuff."

Jaws dropped around the table, but Danny continued to grin at the couple. Henry was the first of the rest to speak. "Eddie, so you did get to meet Joe after all?" Eddie nodded, tears in her eyes. "Yes, it was so long ago that I didn't even realize it until we were looking through photos just after we moved into the house. I saw a picture of him laughing and it came back to me."

Naturally everyone was still in shock. "Dad, I… I just want you to know how wonderful I thought he was. Most of the cops I met before Joe hassled me because of… well, the whole package. Me, the car, rich Daddy… But Joe was professional, sweet and funny. And like this one over here, he called me on my bullshit when I laid on the charm."

Frank nodded a couple of times before clearing his throat. "Thank you, Eddie." He paused a beat before he added "And it appears Joe thought a lot of you too."

She smiled back at Frank, fighting back more tears. Jamie took her hand, thinking she was done, when she took a deep breath. He tilted his head when she continued, never having heard what she was about to say. "Actually, there's more… You all, well, you know about my family. About what my Dad did. I met Joe just before all of that came out. During the trial and everything, I didn't know what to do."

Eddie paused, needing a moment to compose herself before she went on. "But after he was convicted… I was determined to prove that I wasn't like him. I was going to do something good with my life... Something that mattered. But I didn't have a clue what that was yet. After a lot of soul searching, I decided to become a cop. And Joe was a part of that."

She took a deep breath and gripped Jamie's hand. "I didn't remember his name or too much about him at the time, but I knew I'd never forget what he represented. I was a little jaded when it came to the police. But after meeting Joe, well, he reminded me that they weren't all that bad… Some really cared about the people they were sworn to protect. That they weren't all just trying to meet their quotas. Remembering that one stop with a decent, compassionate police officer changed the path of my life. I wanted to be one of those kinds of officers."

Tears were still flowing around the table, but definitely happy tears. Jamie pulled Eddie to him. "Hey, why didn't you ever tell me that?" She hiccupped through her tears. "It was already spacey enough that he wanted to hook us up. It would've sounded nuts that he was also part of the reason I became a cop."

He held her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "No, it's not nuts at all."

Danny chuckled from across the table. "Well, you got to admit that it is a little nuts." Jamie glared at Danny, but Danny kept going. "I mean if you think about it, it is. Like what are the freakin' odds?"

Danny looked around the table, then back to Eddie. "Eddie, I think it's safe to say that you got what you wanted. You are an officer like him. You are so passionate about what you do and the people you try to help. He'd be proud. And the best part, like him, you're a Reagan." He tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help it. Eddie soon followed, along with the rest of the family.

Once they quieted down Frank spoke again. "Eddie, some people don't believe in fate or a greater plan. But it appears that Joe, on some deeper level, knew you were special. It almost seems like you were handpicked to help to fill the void he left in Jamie's life, in our lives and in the NYPD. And if you hadn't been there for Jamie… Well, I might be short two sons right now."

Eddie sat up and wiped her eyes. "That's why we, me especially, wanted to name the baby after him. He… He gave me Jamie… A job I love… And… and all of you." Eddie wrapped her arms around her middle, almost hugging the baby. "He gave me my whole life. He gave me everything." Jamie pulled her tighter to his side, needing to feel her and her rounded belly against him.

Henry nodded and chimed in again. "Sometimes events seem random, completely unconnected. But sometimes they're not. And sometimes it takes a little push to end up where you were meant to be all along. And for you two, I'd say Joe was it."


	4. Chapter 4

It was safe to say that it was an emotional afternoon for the Reagan family. Even after dessert had been devoured and the dishes cleared, the family remained around the table, reminiscing. The revelations about Joe and the part he tried to play in Eddie and Jamie's relationship and how he inspired Eddie to become a police officer had brought the family to tears, happy tears, but tears none the less.

Conversation soon turned to happy memories of Joe. Nicky definitely remembered her Uncle Joe; being the oldest of the grandkids she'd been spoiled rotten by her grandparents and uncles. But Jack remembered snippets, and Sean, well he had been so young when Joe passed, he barely remembered anything about him besides what he had been told.

Frank smiled as he looked around the table. They needed this. Joe had been an integral part of this family and after his death he wasn't sure how they would recover. After he'd died, it all seemed too painful to talk about. In recent years his name had been mentioned in passing, but nothing like today. Remembering Joe, and all the joy that seemed to surround him, felt good.

Eddie's chair had been pulled closer to Jamie's so he could hold her next him more comfortably. She leaned against him and laughed more than she had in… she didn't know how long. She couldn't believe that it had been less than an hour since she'd been in tears. Now she was hearing about how Joe had looked out for his little brother; taking the blame for Jamie's "clumsiness", helping him prank their older sister and helping protect him from her wrath. Eddie was amazed at how devious those Reagan kids could be.

She nearly doubled over in laughter after Sean asked Jamie if he'd told Eddie about his "skill". Eddie hadn't known what he was talking about until Jack filled her in. Jamie had groaned and tried to get them to change the subject, but Eddie was having none of that. He started with the flash drive Jamie swallowed and mentioned a few other things he'd remembered hearing about, but it had been so long ago he couldn't remember much. That's when the other Reagan's chimed in.

Eddie looked at him in shock. "Oh my God, you were THAT kid?" Jamie couldn't help but laugh at her expression. "What kid?" "You know, the weird kid in school who HAD to put everything in his mouth. You probably ate glue in Kindergarten too, didn't you?" Jamie was laughing too hard to answer her, but Frank wasn't. "No, not that we know of, at least. At the time it seemed more like he was trying hide those items versus eating them." Frank couldn't hide his amusement, breaking down towards the end.

Eddie shook her head and smiled back up to Jamie. "I'm really gonna have to keep an eye on this one, I see." She looked down and rubbed her belly affectionately. He laughed and reached his arms around her belly as well, hugging her to him. "It was just a phase… But, hey, it saved my butt when I was UC, so I guess it came in handy."

The rest of the family looked on affectionately, those two were beyond adorable. How Joe could tell after only just a few minutes that they were perfect for each other, they would never understand. But regardless of how he knew, he was right.

The stories continued to flow before Danny had a great idea. "Hey, Dad, you still have that VCR in the living room?" Frank wasn't sure where he was headed with this, but he nodded in the affirmative. "Yep, and it still works too. We watch at least two movies a month in it to make sure the motors don't lock up." Danny grinned in response.

"Boys, go grab a couple chairs from the den and bring them to the living room. The rest of you, come on."

Half an hour later his family was spread around the living room. Jamie, Eddie and Frank on the couch in front of the tv, Henry in the wingback chair next to it, Danny sat in the other one across from it with Erin sitting on the arm of couch next to Jamie. Nicky was in one of the chairs the boys had brought in, while they were both on the floor in front of the sofa.

Once Danny had started rounding every one up he went ahead and got the VCR set while the others slowly ambled in. Naturally, Eddie needed a bathroom break. Their little girl had started kicking recently, so between the weight of her and the kicks to her bladder, she spent a lot more time in there than she used to.

Now they were all enjoying family videos. Videos that some in the room hadn't seen in many, many years, but the rest had never seen before. Danny shook his head, why hadn't he thought of this before? He always felt a little sad that his boys never knew firsthand what a truly great person their Uncle had been and how much he had been in love with them from the moment they were born. They had heard stories, of course, but it just wasn't the same.

Danny was brought out of his thoughts by Eddie's laughter. "Oh, so THAT'S where you learned that move. I always wondered because they definitely didn't teach that at the academy when I was there." When he looked up at the screen it was when he was helping Joe practice for his brown belt certification. Joe had been showing off, wearing his purple belt over his pajamas when Danny challenged him. Their "fight" resembled more of a cheesy ninja movie; both boys taunting each other and then their mouths kept moving while no sound came out with Jamie and Erin cheering them on.

They barely touched each other; Danny sticking to the boxing moves he'd learned from Pop while Joe kept his distance going through various positions he had learned in class. At least up until the point he grabbed Danny and flipped him onto his back. Everyone laughed at that one; the shocked expression on young Danny's face was priceless.

A couple of tapes later found the Reagan boys out in the front yard playing catch. Well, Danny was tossing the football back and forth with Jamie while it appeared that Joe had been the one filming. In the background you could see a much younger (and skinnier) Frank cutting the grass in shorts; Eddie could hardly believe the sight.

There were a few good passes, some with easy catches and some that had eight year old Jamie diving for the ball, even landing with a roll a time or two. Then the trouble began. Danny accidentally threw the ball wide and Jamie bolted after it, not looking where he was going. He was headed towards the street and the older boys could see a car coming about a block away.

Joe dropped the camcorder in the grass but it kept recording. Both he and Danny shouted to get Jamie's attention, both chasing after him, but he didn't appear to hear them and he was on the other side of the yard and too far for them to reach in time. Then Joe shouted to his father "DAD! JAMIE! HE'S IN TROUBLE!" Frank barely looked up from the mower before he was running full speed into the street and snatched Jamie back just before the car flew past.

Jamie felt Eddie flinch beside him and when he turned to make sure she was okay, he was surprised to see that she was white as a ghost. He assumed it was because of his near death experience that she had just witnessed. He pulled her tighter against him and whispered in her ear. "It's alright, I'm okay. And I will always play with Josefina in our fenced-in backyard, I promise." She made some non-committal response but her eyes never left the screen.

Frank had just finished shouting at Jamie and was pulling him into his arms. The older boys waited a moment before joining into the now group hug; Danny apologizing again and again for the bad throw and warning Jamie to never scare him like that again. Once they separated, Joe ran back to the forgotten camcorder and then the screen went black.

Later that night as Eddie and Jamie got ready for bed Jamie kept a watchful eye on Eddie. Ever since they left his Dad's she'd been quiet, way too quiet.

Once they were settled and she still hadn't said anything, he had to find out, so he gently nudged her arm and asked. "You okay?" That pulled her from her thoughts. "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She gave him a soft smile, but he saw through it. "You didn't say a word in the car ride home or very much since. Is it the baby? You feeling okay?" He looked genuinely worried so she grabbed his hand to reassure him. "I'm fine. The baby's fine. I was just thinking, that's all."

He nodded in acceptance, unsure whether to push or leave it at that. "Anything you'd care to share? You know I'm a good listener." She gave another soft smile then a deep sigh. "I would, but to be completely honest, you'll just think I'm nuts." He shook his head and tried to comfort her. "No, I won't. After everything we've been through, all that craziness, there's nothing you could say to make me think you're any nuttier than usual." He winked as he finished, just a reminder that he was teasing her.

She let out a single laugh, "No, it's because of all the crazy stuff that you'll think I'm a nut." He chuckled lightly. "No, I won't. I promise." She was skeptical, but after a shake of her head she told him. "Remember that voice I heard before Sorrento shot at you? I swear to God it was Joe."

Jamie didn't answer right away, taking his time really understand what she was saying and to make sure he didn't say anything stupid. "You're sure?" was all he could get out. She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it wasn't until that video where you almost got hit by that car… The fear… The terror in his voice… That's what I heard. He's the one who warned me."

Jamie just nodded, neither sure what to say next. Now it definitely made sense to him why she had been so quiet earlier. Jamie pulled her to him and leaned back against his pillow, needing time to process this.

When he finally spoke after a few minutes, he sounded amused rather than shocked. "Well, I guess it's true, third time's the charm." Eddie looked up to him confused. "What are you talking about?" "Well, think about it. We had the trifecta. We didn't get together after Joe first met you, and we still didn't after he inspired you to become a cop and we got partnered together. So his last ditch effort and to save my life, he warned you and now here we are."

That definitely wasn't the response Eddie had been expecting. She raised up on her elbow to better see his face. "Really? So you're okay with this? You don't think I've got a screw loose." He smiled and pulled her back down to him. "Not at all… I'll admit I was a little skeptical when you first told me about the voice when it happened. But I trust you and I believe that you heard what you did. And now? Well, it makes perfect sense. It's definitely something he would've done if he could."

Eddie smiled against his chest. "Wow. Well, thank you. After all the other weird stuff, I was sure you'd think I was a little batty or that it was more of pregnancy brain."

They laid together, content in each other's arms, for a while before either spoke. "Do you think we should tell your family?" She asked curiously. After thinking about it for a moment he shook his head. "No, this might be too much for them. I might tell Pop or Dad one day; they're a little more religious and more open to stuff like that." She nodded and snuggled deeper against him.

After a moment she mused out loud. "Don't take this the wrong way, Lambchop, but I'm really glad your brother was as big of a persistent pain-in-the-ass as you are." Jamie chuckled again "Me too, Eddie. Me too."

Jamie held Eddie close, his arms wrapped protectively around her as she drifted off to sleep. With one hand he gently rubbed her belly, careful not to wake her, but enjoying the feel of their daughter's small movements. He softly kissed her hair and reflected on the last ten years of his life. He also considered how different things could have been without his brother's intervention.

Jamie felt a strong bump against his hand, not sure whether that had been an elbow or a swift kick, but it made him grin from ear to ear. He kissed his fingers and placed them back against Eddie's belly before whispering softly. "Daddy loves you, baby girl." Oh yes, they had needed Joe's little push and Jamie was so grateful for it. Thankfully, the third time was most definitely the charm.


End file.
